Chapter 60 A Queen Among Tides: Chapter Sixty - Sebastian

Chapter 60 A Queen Among Tides: Chapter Sixty - Sebastian
I’ve dreamed of my coronation for decades. I’ve thought about what I’d wear, what I’d say and what it would be like. Now the day is finally here, and those details no longer matter. Today Lemuel and I will take our oaths as King and Queen of the sirna and vow to govern and protect our people till the end of our days. If you think I’m nervous, you don’t know me very well. I’m excited as hell!

I finish tying my bow tie and reach over, grabbing my suit jacket off the bed and slip it on, smoothing out the fabric to ensure there’s not a crease to be seen. Believe it or not, Lemuel selected our outfits for this occasion. I know, I was surprised too, but not concerned. Lemuel always looks glorious and immaculate; I knew whatever he picked for us would look fitting for a royal occasion and he didn’t let me down.

I smile at my reflection in the full-length mirror as I take in every detail of my outfit. Lemuel selected for me, a tailor-made baroque blue floral three-piece suit with black slacks and royal blue patent leather pointed-toe dress shoes. This suit couldn’t be any more me if it tried. I don’t typically wear vests, and I can’t remember when I last did, but this one has a built-in corset, so it actually pulls in my waist, which not only gives me fabulous posture but showcases my spectacular ass even more. I can’t tell if Lemuel did that for my benefit or his, but it doesn’t really matter.

While the jacket and vest are a gorgeous painted floral design with so many alternating shades of blue, at a distance the floral design actually looks like ocean waves, making it look incredibly similar to my tail. The entire outfit is elegant and sophisticated; flattering yet dignified, and as much as it speaks to this important occasion, it’s the design itself that feels like a love letter from my animai because it shows how well he knows me and understands me. I will definitely be saving this suit for future use.

I quickly grab my comb and comb a few loose strands of hair into place just as there’s a knock at the door.

“Come in if you’re good lookin’,” I announce. I look over as Eisa enters the room and I can’t help but gasp at how stunning my best friend looks. “I said come in if you’re good looking, not if you’re drop dead gorgeous, though that applies too,” I smile at her, placing my comb down and walking over taking her manicured hands and outstretching her arms to get a better look at her.

“You’re the one being coronated, I’m supposed to be the one fawning over you,” she playfully rebukes.

“No one said I can’t do both,” I grin.

It’s tradition – though not enforced – in Atlesper, that for special occasions we dress in attire that reflects our tails. It’s our way of showing pride for what we are and where we come from even without morphing. I wonder if Lemuel knew that when selecting my suit. Either way, Eisa always wears something representative of her tail.

I slowly spin Eisa around and take in the stunning strapless, red satin ombre mermaid gown. It has a slight sweetheart neckline with ruching down the bodice and Swarovski detailing wrapping around under the bust. More Swarovski forms a floral pattern that cascades down her left hip and wraps around the top of the skirt of the dress. Red satin fans out like water atop white lace giving the perfect amount of volume to sell the ‘mermaid’ look.

Can’t tell you how painful it is to use the word ‘mermaid’, to describe anything. The things I’ll say to sell a gown.

The light dances off Eisa’s skin as she spins around, allowing me to catch the signs of a gorgeous pearlescent shimmer coating her skin. Her strawberry blonde hair has been straightened like a pin and placed up in a high ponytail with a fishtail braid meticulously braided up the back of her scalp and into the pony. I’m so used to her beautiful bouncy curls that it’s an adjustment seeing her with straight hair, and only further blows my mind when seeing just how long it is when you straighten the curls out. It must be a special occasion because she doesn’t usually bother with that kind of hassle unless for a good reason. She completes the look with gorgeous ruby earrings shaped like coral and glittering candy red lipstick and a pearly smoky eye and matching nails. I’m starting to feel my advisor might be upstaging me at my own coronation.

“Why are you pouting?” She sighs.

“You look so much more exquisite than me,” I sulk.

She rolls her eyes, “No one is stopping you from wearing a gown,” she says, crossing her arms and jutting her hip.

“While my parents may have accepted me being gay, I think being in a dress for my coronation is a bit too much. Still, you look gorgeous,” I compliment her with unveiled jealousy.

“Hey, at least you have an ass to flaunt. Speaking of, did your ass get fatter?” She says as she peers down at my ass.

I gasp and clutch my chest, “Don’t tease me with such compliments unless you mean it.”

“Oh, I mean it. By the looks of your ass in those pants it’s clear that even if you half-assed something that’s still giving an impressive amount. You’re not inheriting your mother’s love for cosmetic surgery are you?” She asks suspiciously.

I snort, “Not yet. My youthful beauty is all-natural,” I say as I admire my ass in the mirror. You’d think with all the poundings it has taken lately it would have gotten flatter but thank Ezillus that is not the case. Perhaps Lemuel also requested something in the cut of my pants to accentuate my ass that little bit more. If so, it’s just further proof of how perfect he is for me. Speaking of my sexy dark cocoa beast, the whole time I’ve been getting ready I haven’t felt a single hint of nerves or anxiety once from him. The man is cool as a sea cucumber. He’ll make a hell of a Queen.

“Love, I understand being fashionably late, but not on the day of our coronation. You’re taking forever,” Lemuel reprimands me in my mind.

I roll my eyes, “I’m coming, I’m coming. Keep your pants on… on second thought…”

“Keep this up and I’ll paint your ass red,” he warns with a deep sexy voice that sends shivers through my insides.

“Promises, promises,” I say licking my lips as I envision my man having his way with me. It’s been a while since I topped him, and I really don’t mind. For someone built like a human, he fucks like a God and with how good he gives it, it’s hard to want anything else. Hard being the operative word.

“Yo, ocean to Sebastian,” Eisa calls, snapping her fingers in my face, “We going or what?”

“Jeez, between you and Lemuel, I’ll never need a watch.”

“Just serving my duty to the booty, now let’s make you a King,” she says happily, wrapping her arm around mine.

I chuckle at her remark. “Now there’s an idea,” I grin.

Eisa escorts me from the bedroom, through the suite, and through the palace, all the way to the throne room. As soon as we approach the hallway my laugh at another of Eisa’s witty remarks is cut off the moment my eyes fall on Lemuel. I feel my heart skip several beats as I take in the vision standing so graceful and patient in front of the doors of the throne room. The mid-day sun streams in through the open colonnade and bounces off his silken skin like a perfectly cut piece of brown sapphire.

I drink in the sight of my greatest wish come true and admire the ensemble he’s selected for himself. From the shiny black leather oxfords with engraved detailing around the pointed toes, to immaculately fitted black slacks, all the way up to the centrepiece. A three-piece floral lilac tuxedo with hints of metallic embroidery along the floral design. It’s accented by black lapels and black pocket trimming with a matching waistcoat, white dress shirt and black bow tie that matches my own. He looks like a work of art that has jumped right off the canvas so I can take in its beauty up close.

He walks over to me, his electric eyes looking at me full of warmth as he cups my face in his hands sending currents of electricity flowing through my limbs. He places his lips on mine in a sweet kiss that makes my stomach tingle. I didn’t even know my stomach could tingle. Did you know that? I didn’t know that.

“I’m surprised you’re not drooling with all those emotions running through you,” he smirks.

“You can’t blame me when you look that good,” I say dreamily.

Now that I can focus my thoughts I can register the fact I feel Lemuel echoing my own feelings and I can’t help but smile at him. For every drool-worthy and heart-stopping thought I have about him, he has the same about me. I spent a lot of time hoping I could talk this man into giving me a chance, but I could never have imagined he’d love me as deeply and fiercely as I do him, enough to take his place at my side as my Queen.

“I’ll see you, boys, in there,” says Eisa warmly, planting a kiss on my cheek and then Lemuel’s before entering the throne room, closing the door behind her.

“You ready for this?” Lemuel asks, brushing his thumbs across my cheekbones, soothing my body like an addictive sedative.

“I’ve been ready for this my whole life,” I say excitedly, “What about you?”

“Can honestly say I haven’t been ready for this my whole life, but I’ll certainly have a go at it,” he smirks, shrugging his shoulders.

He holds out his arm to me and I happily wrap my arm around his and place a gentle kiss on his cheek, “Let’s do this.”

Arm in arm we walk to the doors of the throne room, and with a quick tap on the ornate structures, the doors swing open, and the sound of trumpets fills the air and floods my ears. The entire room is packed with people from the first floor to the second; each person turning with excited faces as me and Lemuel enter.

With slow, measured steps we walk down the vibrant carpet laid before us; a long strip of electric blue and purple gradients with flecks of gold to guide our way. Banners of vibrant purple and rich blue hang from every pillar adorned with the family crest, while yards of chiffon and silk in shades of purple, blue, and white cascade from the ceiling and wrap around every pillar and column. The air is filled not only with the comforting smell of the sea, but the intoxicating aroma of orchids, roses, and calla lilies. As I look around the room, I see the stunning bouquets and floral features showcasing the most gorgeous calla lilies, with powder blue petals and deep purple cores, framed by a mix of white and violet roses with a few sneaky blue orchids thrown in the mix. Dimitra took my colour and concept theme and ran with it. The room not only screams the Prince’s ball from my favourite Cinderella movie but everywhere I look, I’m reminded of the mesmerising eyes of the man who stole my heart.

I feel Lemuel squeeze my arm lightly, a reassurance that he is right here beside me. I never doubted it for a moment, but just knowing he thought to do that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. He thought he was evil, and maybe he has a dark past, but in a lot of cases, I don’t think it’s the bad things in someone’s past we should judge, but the choices they made afterwards. Someone who shows remorse and guilt and tries to change is someone who has learned from their actions and doesn’t want them to happen again, and that’s Lemuel. He did something he will never be able to forgive himself for, but he lives every day determined to never be that person again, and that’s the man I love and admire. We all have faults, but at least he chooses to learn from his. Even I could learn to take some notes from him.

We approach the steps that lead up to the platform that houses the thrones of the King and Queen. Standing proudly between the statues of Ezillus, are two ostentatious chairs that have seated generations of my ancestors, carved from the very rock that Atlesper sits on. They’re carved with such artistry that the stone looks like the most delicate coral you’ve ever seen. Painted in a soft peach, the natural limestone in the rock catches the sun just right and makes the coral appear to shift in colour.

I smile up at the two emotional sets of eyes that watch Lemuel and I approach with bated breath. My mother stands tall and statuesque, a vision in an ivory jumpsuit with a lace bodice with a thick, flowing cape that cascades down the front and back of her body like the snow on a tall mountain. Her hair is pinned up in a high bun holding her crown firmly in place while around her neck hangs a diamond necklace with a teardrop pearl and matching earrings hanging gracefully from her ears. Her perfectly manicured ivory almond nails quickly wipe away a stray tear that trickles down her perfectly made up face just as my father reaches out to squeeze her shoulder while giving me a proud smile, but I notice even he is struggling to hold back the tears.